How many men to change this light bulb? Fourteen...with a helicopter

HOW many men does it take to change a light bulb? Fourteen – when it’s on top of a lighthouse.

The lighthouse on Bardsey Island and, right, its massive two ton old bulb in a museum [ALAMY / WALES NEWS SERVICE]

A team of workmen aided by a helicopter removed the two-ton bulb from 99ft Bardsey Island lighthouse off the North Wales coast.

Changing a light bulb may sound easy – but it’s not when it weighs two tons

Andy Godber, National Trust operations manager

They replaced it with a new hi-tech LED solar-powered lamp and airlifted the old one two miles to a National Trust museum at Porth y Swnt near Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula.

It was the first time the light, which guides shipping through St George’s Channel, has had a new bulb in more than 100 years.

The big job needed four National Trust staff, three from lighthouse charity Trinity House, three in the helicopter, two external contractors and two more responsible for design and structural engineering.

National Trust operations manager Andy Godber said: “Changing a light bulb may sound easy – but it’s not when it weighs two tons.”

Switching the bulbs will be a boon to local wildlife. The old one attracted birds to the light and many were killed. Its solar energy replacement does not have that effect.